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03-11-2005, 11:55 AM | #1 (permalink) |
I love Derf!! Join Date: Mar 12 2002 Location: Undisclosed Secure Location
Posts: 2,636
Rep Power: 26 | WFTV.com Police Accused Of Tasering Suspect To Get Urine Sample ORLANDO, Fla. -- A police officer twice used a Taser stun device on a drug suspect who was restrained to a hospital bed because the man refused to give a urine sample to medical staff, authorities said. Antonio Wheeler, 18, was arrested Friday on a drug charge and taken to an emergency room after telling officers he had consumed cocaine, police said. Because Wheeler said he had used the drugs, Florida Hospital officials wanted a urine sample. A police affidavit said Wheeler wouldn't provide a sample on his own, so workers tried to catheterize him to get one. The police document said Wheeler was handcuffed to a hospital bed and then secured with leather straps after he refused to urinate in a cup. When medical staff tried to insert a catheter to get the sample, Wheeler refused and began thrashing around, the affidavit said. At one point, police officer Peter Linnenkamp reported, he jumped on the bed with his knees on Wheeler's chest to restrain him. When Wheeler still refused to let the catheter be inserted, Linnenkamp said he twice used his Taser, which sends 50,000 volts into a target. "After the second shock (Wheeler) stated he would urinate and calmed down enough to be given the portable urinal," Linnenkamp wrote. At the request of Police Chief Michael McCoy, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident. Linnenkamp, who has more than 18 years on the force, has no history of disciplinary problems, said Sgt. Barbara Jones, a department spokeswoman. He has been relieved pending the investigation's outcome. Jones said officers in such suspensions usually are paid. In a Tuesday interview at the Orange County jail, Wheeler acknowledged that he aggressively resisted efforts to insert the catheter because he was scared it would hurt. He said the police officer told him the catheter would be necessary if he wouldn't or couldn't urinate on his own. "I feel I was basically raped," Wheeler said. Said Amnesty International USA spokesman Edward Jackson: "If this had taken place in China, it would be an egregious violation of human rights, and the public would be outraged. "I hope that they don't allow the fact that it happened on U.S. soil deter from the fact that this may very well be a case of torture." Florida Hospital spokeswoman Melanie Trivento said in a statement Wednesday that hospital officials wouldn't be able to comment on the case until they have thoroughly reviewed it. "This is a very unusual situation and we are examining all of the circumstances surrounding the incident," the statement said. Earlier, another hospital spokeswoman, Samantha O'Lenick, said she could not speak specifically about the Wheeler case but said hospital protocol calls for urine samples whenever patients say they have taken drugs or alcohol. Wheeler was being held on $7,500 bail on charges including possession of cocaine with intent to sell, escape and resisting without violence. Source |
04-19-2005, 11:17 AM | #4 (permalink) |
I love Derf!! Join Date: Mar 12 2002 Location: Undisclosed Secure Location
Posts: 2,636
Rep Power: 26 | Cop Charged For Using Taser Gun On Suspect In Hospital Bed Prosecution's Best Evidence Is Police Officer's Own Report ORLANDO, Fla. -- For the first time, an Orlando police officer is facing criminal charges for misusing a Taser gun. Link to Video Cop Charged For Taser Gun Use On Restrained Suspect An affidavit reveals the officer used the weapon to obtain a urine sample from a handcuffed suspect, WESH 2 News reported. The information filed Monday charges Officer Peter Linnenkamp with misdemeanor battery, and prosecutors said some of the best evidence against Linnenkamp comes from his own report on the incident. Linnenkamp is facing one criminal count of battery for using a Taser gun on Antonio Wheeler while he was handcuffed to a Florida Hospital gurney. "Based on what we have as evidence, this was not a safety issue. This was a compliance issue to provide urine. So that rises to a level of a criminal act. In this case, it's a misdemeanor battery," said state attorney's spokesman Randy Means. In his report on the March 5 incident, Linnenkamp admitted to shocking Wheeler with a Taser gun twice. "Only minimum force necessary was used. This attempt was deemed necessary by the (medical) staff," Linnenkamp wrote in the report. "There are times when people have medical problems that we have to make sure people get the treatment they need," said Lt. Brian Gilliam, of the Orlando Police Department. Wheeler told police he had swallowed crack cocaine, so they took him to the hospital. But Means said concern over Wheeler's medical condition was not reason enough for the officer to use a Taser gun on a restrained suspect. "This was not within the scope of his duty. The Taser is supposed to be for compliance, officer safety and public safety," Means said. "He's a good officer, but we'll just have to wait and see if his judgment was poor that night," Gilliam said. The charge carries a maximum of one year in prison, but due to the veteran officer's clean record, if convicted, he'll likely face diversion, a fine and perhaps some retraining. He'll be notified by summons and won't have to be arrested or booked into jail. The Orlando Police Department has one of the strictest Taser gun policies in Central Florida. Just last year, the policy was rewritten and now requires that the suspect be actively resisting arrest before a Taser gun can be used. Source |
04-19-2005, 08:18 PM | #5 (permalink) |
I'm Banned Join Date: Oct 2 2004 Location: San Diego Age: 54
Posts: 510
Rep Power: 0 | There was an article in the Wall Street Journal last week about a very sharp decrease in Taser sales due to safety concerns. The owner stated something like, "We tasered each other many times. We know its safe." I was thinking, "Good, he won't mind if I taser him for not using a turn signal to merge in traffic." |
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